Controlling mobile device calls, text messages and data usage while operating a motor vehicle

ABSTRACT

Disclosed are an system and method of regulating mobile device communications while operating a motor vehicle. One example method may include determining a speed event indicating that a speed of the motor vehicle has performed at least one of exceeded a first threshold above which mobile device usage restriction policies are invoked and fallen below a second threshold allowing the mobile device restriction policies to be removed. The first threshold may be equal to or greater than the second threshold. As a result of obtaining the speed event, the method may also provide transmitting the speed event to a remote edge gateway server located remotely from the motor vehicle, which stores the speed event for reference purposes when determining a policy for routing a particular mobile device call, text message and/or mobile data session.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present patent application is a continuation of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 15/257,796, entitled “CONTROLLING MOBILE DEVICECALLS, TEXT MESSAGES AND DATA USAGE WHILE OPERATING A MOTOR VEHICLE”,filed on Sep. 6, 2016, issued as U.S. Pat. No. 9,867,118 on Jan. 9,2018, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.14/188,970, entitled “CONTROLLING MOBILE DEVICE CALLS, TEXT MESSAGES ANDDATA USAGE WHILE OPERATING A MOTOR VEHICLE”, filed on Feb. 25, 2015,issued as U.S. Pat. No. 9,439,133 on Sep. 6, 2016, which is acontinuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/096,827, entitled“CONTROLLING MOBILE DEVICE CALLS, TEXT MESSAGES AND DATA USAGE WHILEOPERATING A MOTOR VEHICLE”, filed on Apr. 28, 2011, issued as U.S. Pat.No. 8,666,382 on Mar. 4, 2014 which is related to and claims the benefitof U.S. provisional patent application 61/328,689 entitled “System andmethod for controlling mobile telephone calls, text messages and mobiledata while driving a motor vehicle”, filed on Apr. 28, 2010, the entirecontents of each are hereby incorporated by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a method and apparatus of controlling mobiletelephones and other mobile devices while operating a motor vehicle,and, more specifically, to monitoring and controlling usage restrictionswhile the motor vehicle is being operated.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Operating a mobile device while driving can distract the driver of amotor vehicle (i.e. transport vehicle). A mobile device may include anymobile device capable of establishing communications with a network,such as a cell phone, tablet computing device, laptop, smart phone, etc.Certain concerns have been raised to restrict drivers from using amobile device while the vehicle is in motion. One example of suchrestrictions may include local laws and ordinances that have beenimposed on drivers that make it illegal to utilize a mobile device whiledriving. Other laws simply limit the usage of mobile devices whiletraversing certain restricted areas (e.g., a school zone).

In order to enforce such legal regulations related to mobile devices,local law enforcement must observe a driver committing an infraction andsubsequently impose a fine on the driver. Such a method of lawenforcement can be considered a passive method for controlling thedevice, since it is the driver's responsibility to restrict usage of themobile device. This can be a problem since the law cannot be easilyenforced, and thus the user will not stop using the mobile device whileoperating their motor vehicle.

Current methods for addressing these issues rely on device-basedsolutions, rather than network-based solutions. For example,device-based solutions are typically custom-designed for the deviceand/or the vehicle and are typically expensive to implement or requirethe use of a “smartphone”—a mobile telephone with an operating systemonto which third party software can be deployed, and which has access toa global positioning system (GPS) receiver as well as additionalwireless protocols such as Bluetooth and/or WiFi.

Examples of conventional vehicle tracking systems are used by deliverycompanies such as UPS® and Fedex®. In these systems, vehicles areequipped with proprietary mobile devices that must be placed in aproprietary docking station inside the vehicle in order for the vehicleto be placed in motion. When in motion, the devices impose limitationson their usage, such as preventing the driver from reading certaininformation screens while the vehicle is in motion to prevent driverdistractions originating from the mobile device.

Other examples may include solutions from third party vendors thatdeploy software on a specific smartphone mobile device, such as anAndroid®, Apple iPhone®, RIM Blackberry®, or Windows Mobile device, etc.In these examples, the software accesses the device-based GPS toidentify when the device is moving at a certain velocity (e.g. >5 mph),at which point the device restricts the use of text messages and orcalls from being accessed via the mobile device.

While both of these types of solutions are technically feasible, theyface significant hurdles to adoption, including cost, difficulty of use,and restrictions on which devices can be used (e.g., only certainsmartphones from certain carriers). Other concerns include identifyingwhen the user is actually in the vehicle and when the individual is incommand of the vehicle, and providing safeguards that prevent a userfrom circumventing the system.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

One embodiment of the present invention may include a method ofregulating mobile device communications while operating a motor vehicle.The method may include determining a speed event indicating that a speedof the motor vehicle has performed at least one of exceeded a firstthreshold above which mobile device usage restriction policies areinvoked and fallen below a second threshold allowing the mobile devicerestriction policies to be removed. The first threshold is equal to orgreater than the second threshold. The method may also includetransmitting the speed event to a remote edge gateway server locatedremotely from the motor vehicle, and storing the speed event in theremote edge gateway server.

Another example embodiment of the present invention may include a systemconfigured to regulate mobile device communications while operating amotor vehicle. The system may include an edge gateway server configuredto determine a policy associated with a speed event indicating that aspeed of the motor vehicle has performed at least one of exceeded afirst threshold above which mobile device usage restriction policies areinvoked and fallen below a second threshold allowing the mobile devicerestriction policies to be removed. The first threshold is equal to orgreater than the second threshold. The apparatus may also include atransmitter device configured to obtain and transmit the speed event toa remote edge gateway server located remotely from the motor vehicle,the remote edge gateways server comprising memory configured to storethe speed event in the remote edge gateway server.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates an example network configuration, according toexample embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 2 illustrates an example RDS sensor (RDSS) configuration, accordingto example embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 3 illustrates an example femtozone network configuration, accordingto example embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 4 illustrates a flow diagram of an example method according to anexample embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 illustrates an example network entity device configured to storeinstructions, software, and corresponding hardware for executing thesame, according to example embodiments of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

It will be readily understood that the components of the presentinvention, as generally described and illustrated in the figures herein,may be arranged and designed in a wide variety of differentconfigurations. Thus, the following detailed description of theembodiments of a method, apparatus, and system, as represented in theattached figures, is not intended to limit the scope of the invention asclaimed, but is merely representative of selected embodiments of theinvention.

The features, structures, or characteristics of the invention describedthroughout this specification may be combined in any suitable manner inone or more embodiments. For example, the usage of the phrases “exampleembodiments”, “some embodiments”, or other similar language, throughoutthis specification refers to the fact that a particular feature,structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodimentmay be included in at least one embodiment of the present invention.Thus, appearances of the phrases “example embodiments”, “in someembodiments”, “in other embodiments”, or other similar language,throughout this specification do not necessarily all refer to the samegroup of embodiments, and the described features, structures, orcharacteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or moreembodiments.

In addition, while the term “message” has been used in the descriptionof embodiments of the present invention, the invention may be applied tomany types of network data, such as, packet, frame, datagram, etc. Forpurposes of this invention, the term “message” also includes packet,frame, datagram, and any equivalents thereof. Furthermore, while certaintypes of messages and signaling are depicted in exemplary embodiments ofthe invention, the invention is not limited to a certain type ofmessage, and the invention is not limited to a certain type ofsignaling.

Example embodiments of the present invention may include a method tocontrol the use of a mobile device during the operation of a motorvehicle. The controlling may include limited access to dialing calls,transmitting and/or receiving text messages and/or transferring othermobile data while operating the motor vehicle. A motor vehicle may bereferred to synonymously with transport vehicle or transport means, suchas an automobile, motorcycle, truck, bus, boat, train, aircraft,all-terrain vehicle (ATV), etc.

According to other embodiments of the present invention, a method isdisclosed to enable an active responsible driver system (RDS) solutionto control mobile devices when a user has established certain predefinedcriteria, such as being in command of a vehicle in motion, and/ortraversing a specific area requiring usage restrictions.

FIG. 1 illustrates a mobile network and related communication systemcorresponding to example embodiments of the present invention. Referringto FIG. 1, an operating network area of a mobile device 10 isillustrated as being in communication with a mobile network 20 and anenterprise network 30. A mobile device 102 may have a subscription to amobile service on the mobile network 20 operated by a mobile telephonenetwork service provider and/or service carrier. The mobile device maybe a smartphone, cell phone, tablet computing device, or other devicecapable of communicating with a cellular infrastructure (i.e., basestation 101).

The mobile device 102 may maintain a subscription for service on themobile telephone network service provider's network 20. The subscriptionmay be provisioned and stored in memory in the carrier's home locationregister (HLR) 112 and/or a home subscriber server (HSS) 114. Suchsubscription information may include the subscription information forenabling mobile device calls to be originated and terminated, textmessages to be originated and terminated, and for mobile data to berequested and delivered.

To control the mobile device 102, the mobile subscriber's profile storedin the HLR 112/HSS 114 is activated accessed prior to, or when a callattempt or text message is originated or terminated with the mobiledevice 102. In the case of a call, the mobile switching center (MSC) 110or call session control function (i.e., interrogating—I, servicing—S,and proxy—P-CSCFs) 118-122, verify the subscriber profile from the HLRand/or HSS to determine the services of the subscriber. In an IPmultimedia system (IMS) network, the S-CSCF obtains the initial filtercriteria (IFC) information which may instruct the S-CSCF to query asession initiation protocol (SIP) application server (SIP-AS)represented by 116 before routing a session. Similarly, in acircuit-switched network, the MSC 110 obtains the trigger informationwhich may instruct the MSC 110 to query a service control point (SCP)represented by 116 before routing a call. The SCP or SIP-AS 116 may thenanalyze the origination and/or termination information and apply logicto instruct the MSC 110 or S-CSCF 120 on how to route the call, sessionor text message. The SCP or SIP-AS 116 can be split between two nodes,in this case the carrier gateway server 116 and the edge gateway server130 which may be located in an external network such as an enterprise.

A call that is originated from or terminated to the mobile device 102may have an alternative treatment applied based on a service condition.For example, a call may be allowed or disallowed or re-routed inresponse to the service condition. Similarly, the call may beintercepted by the system and stored in memory along with the intendeddestination if the vehicle is being operated by the user of the mobiledevice. A call may be augmented with a predefined indication or recordedmessage to alert the user of the service condition with or withoutprompting for acknowledgement and/or reason, but still allowing the callto be received. A call may be received and/or a call termination can bere-routed to voicemail or to a recorded message for the calling party(e.g., “the user is unavailable at this time”). A terminating textmessage can be stored for later delivery to the mobile device 102, anoriginating text message from the mobile device 102 can be preventedfrom being delivered, etc.

Mobile data transferred to or from the mobile device 102 may require amobile data gateway such as a gateway GPRS support node (GGSN) that isconnected to a carrier's serving GPRS support node (SGSN), oralternatively, a foreign agent (FA) that is connected to a carrier'sHome Agent (HA). For example, a mobile data request transferred from amobile device 102 can be prevented or delayed from being delivered to aserver.

A mobile data response can also be prevented or delayed from beingdelivered to the mobile device 102. The message may be blocked orintercepted by temporarily storing the message in memory and releasingthe message into the network once a predefined condition and/orrestriction has passed (e.g., a communication blocked location). Inother words, the message may be preserved or just re-routed untilcertain conditions have been satisfied. Similarly, a mobile data requestor response can be augmented with an indication or recorded message toalert the user of the condition with or without a prompting foracknowledgement and/or a reason, but still allow the message to proceed.

According to example embodiments of the present invention, a mobilenetwork may be configured with a gateway server (GS) that can act as aSCP, a SIP-AS and/or a GGSN. The GS is split into two functions, theGS-C 116 located in the carrier network 20 and the GS-E 130 located atthe edge of the network, such as in an enterprise or service controlnetwork (SCN) 30.

An enterprise may represent a corporation that desires to control themobile phones of their employees, such as UPS® or Fedex® controlling themobile phones of their drivers. In such a case, it is possible that theGS-E 130 is also connected to the enterprise voice communicationsnetworks including for example, a private branch exchange (PBX) 132coupled to a telephone device 134, and an IP-PBX and/or unifiedcommunications (UC) system. A media gateway (MGW) 124 and SBCs 126 and128 may provide a communication path to the enterprise network 30. Aswitched circuit network (SCN) may represent a hosted service providerthat offers a service to many small or large corporations forcontrolling the mobile phones of the corporation's employees. An SCN mayalso offer such a service to consumers or agencies, for example toenable parents to control the mobile phones of their children, schoolsto control the mobile devices of their bus drivers, or municipalities orgovernments to control the use of mobile phones of users that havereceived infractions for unsafe driving or for using a mobile phone in aschool zone.

In other configurations, the GS-E 130 can also be located in thecarrier's network 20, or be hosted by a third party in a multi-tenantmodel that offers the service to many individual enterprises and/orconsumers from a single GS-E 130. The GS-C 116 and GS-E 130 can also becombined into a single function allowing the policy and services of theGS-E 130 to be handled by the combined GS (GS-C 116 plus GS-E 130) node.

According to another example embodiment an on board diagnostic (OBD)system may be used. OBD systems are in most automobiles today. TheOBD-II standard was introduced in the mid 1990's, and has been mandatedon all automobiles manufactured for sale in the United States since Jan.1 1996. The same OBD-II or similar systems are used in most countriesaround the world.

All OBD-II automobiles have an OBD-II compliant connector located in thepassenger compartment that is easily accessible from the driver's seat.This port provides information about the vehicle's state, includingmalfunction indicators, diagnostic trouble codes and other vehicleinformation for self-diagnosis and reporting capabilities.

FIG. 2 illustrates an example OBD and RDS system, according to exampleembodiments of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 2, a motorvehicle 100 is configured with an OBD interface 108 that is illustratedin detail as being part of the dashboard. The OBD module 104 denoted asthe RDS sensor, or RDSS, plugs into the OBD-II connector 108 of thevehicle. The RDSS is capable of obtaining information from variousvehicle subsystems in order to identify when the vehicle is on, when thevehicle is in motion, and at what speed the vehicle is traveling.

The RDSS 104 itself may include a system of elements including an OBD-IIprocessor (not shown) for interfacing with the vehicle's OBD-II port 108via a variety of communication protocols. A corresponding wirelesscommunication system (not shown) may include a radio communicationssystem such as GSM, CDMA, LTE, WiMAX and/or WiFi, which may furtherinclude a SIM card 106 for communicating with a mobile network in thecase of a GSM mobile network. The system may also include a generalcomputing platform (not shown) for storing program logic for theoperation of the RDSS system. The RDSS 104 can be used to sendinformation to and from a server connected over the Internet via themobile data connection. Data messages may be transmitted via shortmessage service (SMS) text messaging, or via other communicationprotocols, such as unstructured supplementary services data (USSD), dataover voice (DOV) or Internet protocols such as TCP or UDP over mobiledata transport. The RDSS may be equipped with a location-determiningcapability, such as for example assisted GPS (A-GPS), which complieswith the U.S. F.C.C. wireless enhanced 911 phase-2 mandate for allmobile phones.

The RDSS 104 may have its own subscriber information module (SIM) card106, which is compatible with a GSM-based network, a CDMA-based networkor other mobile wireless network. In either case, the RDSS represents aseparate subscription to the carrier, and may be considered amachine-to-machine (M2M) subscription, which may cost less than a fullmobile services subscription for a mobile telephone user. The RDSSsubscription is associated with one or more subscribers provisioned inthe GS-E 130 that are configured to have their mobile servicescontrolled when they are operating a vehicle in which the RDSS isinstalled.

The RDSS may be built into automobiles by manufacturers, either asoptional equipment or included with all vehicles. The RDSS system isinformed when the vehicle is turned on. The RDSS 108 then sends a datanotification message to the GS-E 130 associated with the subscriber.This message can be sent over the internet as a mobile data message, orvia SMS or USSD in the case that the RDSS is not capable or configuredto support mobile data service.

Note that the message can be sent directly to the GS-E 130, oralternatively, it can be sent to the GS-E 130 via the GS-C 116. In thelatter case, the RDSS can be preconfigured to send the message to theGS-C 116 in the carrier network 20, and the GS-C 116 then identifies thecorresponding GS-E 130 to which the subscriber belongs. In this example,all RDSSs can be pre-programmed to always route to the carrier's GS-C116.

On reception of the notification that the vehicle has been turned on,the GS-E 130 may then order the GS-C 116 to obtain the location of theRDSS 108 and the RDS mobile 102. To do this, the GS-C 116 can send arequest to the carrier's mobile location center (MLC), which will obtainthe location information for each device. The MLC may be part of the MSC110. On reception of the location information of the devices, the GS-E130 can then calculate the distance between the two devices to determineif the RDS subscriber 108 is actually located in the vehicle. Thedistance between the two devices must be less than a predeterminedamount to qualify that the RDS subscriber device 102 is within thevehicle. Typically this would be within a maximum of 300 meters, incompliance with the worst case requirements for E-911 phase-II, but morelikely within 5-50 m range.

Note that situations may occur where the RDS subscriber 102 is locatedinside the vehicle when in fact they are standing outside the vehicleand someone else is driving the vehicle. This would result in the RDSsubscriber being subject to RDS policies until the vehicle is drivenaway and the locations are subsequently re-checked. To reduce and/oreliminate this case, once the vehicle has been determined to be inmotion, such that the vehicle has exceeded the hysteresis activationspeed (for example, the vehicle may be required to move above athreshold activation speed, such as 15 mph), then thelocation-determination procedure can be performed a second time. The MLCis again queried for the locations of the RDSS 108 and the RDS mobile102, and the GS-E 130 can then calculate the distanced between the twodevices. If the distance is greater than the previous locationdetermination, then it is likely that the user is not located inside thevehicle. If the distance remains to be less than a maximum of 300 metersapart, then it is likely the user is indeed located inside the vehicle.

Another situation that can occur is that the RDS subscriber 102 may be apassenger in the vehicle and as such is not the driver, but wouldnevertheless be subject to the RDS policies. In this case the RDS 108can be overridden to enable the RDS subscriber 102 that is not thedriver to be exempt from the RDS policies. Typical methods foroverriding the service may be a service code such as “*55” which wouldbe recognized by the GS-C 116 and GS-E 130 even if the RDS user is beingsubjected to the RDS policies. Similarly, a mobile data or text messagecould be sent to the GS-E 130 to override the RDS service.Alternatively, the subscriber 102 can be provided with a recordedmessage with a prompt for input on the voice channel to which they canrespond, which may also be achieved via a text message or mobile dataprompt. The response from the subscriber 102 can be stored in thenetwork as part of an event record which can be used as evidence orserve as input to a driver scoring algorithm.

In order to reduce the possibility of a driver attempting to overridethe system, the RDS 108 could require that the override code be sent bytwo different RDS subscribers, or even by one RDS and one non-RDSsubscriber. The second subscriber would typically be the person actuallydriving the vehicle. In another case, the second person could be adesignated administrator such as a parent or supervisor, located outsidethe vehicle. The RDS subscriber sends the override code to the GS-E 130,and on reception, the GS-E 130 sends a notification to the assignedadministrator to approve the RDS override.

The RDSS 108 is informed when the vehicle is in motion. The speed atwhich the RDS invokes the RDS restriction policies may be set by theadministrator of the service. Typically this would be at a speed of 5-15mph. A hysteresis algorithm can be utilized to prevent the system fromactivating and deactivating the RDS policies excessively when thevehicle is in stop-and-go traffic. Typically the hysteresis profile maybe set to activate the RDS policies when the vehicle equals or exceeds15 mph, and deactivates the RDS policies when the vehicle falls below 5mph.

When the RDSS 108 determines that the vehicle is in motion, for exampleby exceeding the hysteresis speed of 15 mph, the RDSS 108 then sends adata notification message to the GS-E 130 associated with the subscriber102. This message can be sent over the internet as a mobile datamessage, or via SMS or USSD in the case that the RDSS is not capable orconfigured to support mobile data service. Note that the message can besent directly to the GS-E 130, or alternatively, it can be sent to theGS-E 130 via the GS-C 116. In the latter case, the RDSS 108 can bepreconfigured to send the message to the GS-C 116 in the carrier, andthe GS-C 116 then identifies the corresponding GS-E 130 to which thesubscriber belongs. In this case all RDSSs can be pre-programmed toalways route to the carrier's GS-C 116.

On reception of the notification that the vehicle is in motion, the GS-E130 then invokes the RDS 108 restriction policies for the RDS subscriberthat had been previously determined to be located in the vehicle and forwhich the RDS 108 had not received an override request. The RDSrestriction policies can be set to different support capabilities basedon a variety of conditions. For example, in its simplest form the RDSpolicy for a particular subscriber can be set to prevent all mobilecalls, texts or mobile data traffic to or from the mobile device 102.

Alternatively, the policies for a particular RDS subscriber 102 can beset to allow incoming calls and incoming texts, but not outgoing callsor outgoing texts while the vehicle is in motion. Another possibilitymay be to allow incoming texts or calls only if they are processed bythe hands-free Bluetooth enabled mobile phone service operated by thevehicle speaker and microphone system to ensure the user's hands arefree to drive and not operate the mobile device 102.

The RDS 108 can also invoke a different set of policies for RDSsubscribers 102 traveling in the vehicle but which are not the driver.For example, for these passengers the RDS policy can be set to enableincoming and outgoing texts but restrict incoming and outgoing calls, soas not to disturb the driver. In another example, calls to and from anRDS subscriber 102 can include an alert or voice message to indicate thevehicle is in motion, but still allow the call to route. In addition,the RDS subscriber can be presented with a prompting for input toconfirm acknowledgement and or a reason for electing to order the systemto proceed with the call, after which the system records the user'sselection and other call details and proceeds with routing the call.

According to another example, the system may provide the RDSS 108 isindependent of the mobile phone device 102 and the mobile network 10 andcarrier network 20. The RDSS 108 reports vehicle speed to the GS-E 130anytime the predefined thresholds are reached or crossed. When acall/text/data session is attempted to or from the mobile device 102,the switching network sends a request for action to the GS-C 116, whichresponds by sending an inquiry to the GS-E 130. As a result, the GS-E130 checks the last recorded speed event received from the RDSS 108 anduses that as input to determine the policy on how to route the session.The RDSS 108 itself is a system, which has a transmitter and aprocessor. The processor is used to assess the vehicle speed andorchestrate the transmission of the events via a transmitter to the edgegateway server. The RDSS 108 reports the vehicle events to the GS-E 130.

In the case where a user does not respond to the prompting, for examplein the case where they are incapacitated, the system may proceed toroute the call and either record or ignore the call details. An allowedlist of callers can be setup that overrides the RDS policies, such as toalways enable calls or text messages to/from an administrator such as aparent or supervisor, even while the vehicle is in motion. Emergencycalls such as to 911 or other emergency services will always overridethe RDS policies.

Note that if the RDSS 108 and/or RDSS subscriber's mobile device 102 arelocated in an area where the service coverage from the mobile network isinsufficient to deliver the messages, then it may not be possible forthe RDSS to function. However, in such a case it will be equallyimpossible for the RDS subscriber 102 to utilize the mobile network tomake or receive calls and/or send/receive data messages. Once thevehicle is in motion and it has been determined that the RDS subscriber102 is in the vehicle, the RDS policies are invoked by the GS-E 130.

In the case of a call origination, whenever a RDS subscriber originatesa mobile telephone call or session, the MSC 110 or CSCF (118-122) sendsa notification to the GS-C 116 requesting instructions before the callcan be routed. The GS-C 116 identifies to which GS-E 130 the subscriberbelongs (e.g., the subscriber is an employee of Acme corporation). TheGS-C 116 then forwards the information about the call request to thecorresponding GS-E 130 located in the enterprise network 30 of Acmecorporation. The information sent may include the originating subscriberinformation, the desired destination, the subscriber's present locationas well as other network-based service information. Note that the GS-C116 may not necessarily be physically located in the carrier network 20,and may instead be hosted external to the carrier's network 20 andinterconnected via the Internet Protocol (IP) and/or signaling system #7(SS7) signaling.

The GS-E 130 may not necessarily be physically located in the enterprisenetwork 30. Instead, the GS-E 130 could be hosted external to theenterprise network 30, for example in the carrier's network 20 or in athird party hosting facility, and interconnected with the enterprise viaan IP connection. In the case where the GS-E 130 is hosted by a carrier20 or third party, it is possible for the GS-E 130 to be configured as amulti-tenant platform allowing many enterprises 30 to utilize the sameGS-E 130, and where each enterprise 30 acts as a shared and securelyseparated tenant of the GS-E 130.

On reception of the information from the GS-C 116, the GS-E 130 thenapplies logic to this information in accordance with specific policiesto decide whether or not to allow the call origination to continue, andif so what instructions to send back to the GS-C 116 for the GS-C 116 toinstruct the MSC 110 or CSCF (118-122). If it has been determined thatthe RDS subscriber 102 is not located inside the vehicle 100, or if thevehicle is not activated (i.e. powered on) or the vehicle is not moving,or the vehicle is not moving over the hysteresis activation speed(e.g. >=15 mph), then the GS-E 130 may instruct the GS-C 116 to allowthe call to proceed as normal.

If however the vehicle is already activated (i.e. powered on) and inmotion, and it has been determined that the RDS subscriber 102 is insidethe vehicle, then the GS-E 130 may elect to disallow the callorigination request. Or the call may instead be routed to a pre-recordedmessage that may inform the driver that they cannot originate a callwhile the vehicle is in motion, or invoke other data communications. Ifthe RDS subscriber 102 has dialed an emergency number, the system wouldallow the call to be routed irrespective of any of the above conditions.The RDS 108 may also allow only specific phone numbers to be called whenthe above conditions are met, for example a pre-approved list, such asto a systems administrator, manager, spouse or child. In such a case,the system may inform the RDS subscriber 102 during the call setup thata particular call is being allowed for one of the above-noted purposesdespite the vehicle being in motion.

For a call termination to the subscriber, prior to routing the call theuser, the MSC 110 or CSCFs (118-122) would send a notification to theGS-E 130, which would determine the appropriate routing instructions.Similar to the above case of call origination, if it has been determinedthat the RDS subscriber 102 is not located inside the vehicle 100, or ifthe vehicle is not activated (i.e. powered on) or moving, or the vehicleis not moving over the hysteresis activation speed (e.g. >=15 mph), thenthe GS-E 130 may instruct the GS-C 116 to allow the call to proceed asnormal.

If however the vehicle is activated (i.e. powered on) and in motion, andit has been determined that the RDS subscriber 102 is inside thevehicle, then the GS-E 130 may elect to disallow the call terminationrequest, or may instead route the call to a pre-recorded message thatmay inform the caller that the RDS subscriber cannot be reached at thistime, or alternatively invoke other treatments. If it is an urgentmatter, the remote caller may be able to override the system with aspecial code that would force the call to be routed to the RDSsubscriber 102 irrespective of any of the above conditions.

The RDS 108 may also allow calls from only specific phone numbers to berouted when the above conditions are met, for example from apre-approved list, such as from a systems administrator, manager, spouseor child. In such a case, the system may inform the RDS subscriber 102with a special ring tone, a text message delivered in advance of thecall alerting, or a recorded message upon the call being answered thatthis particular call is being allowed despite the vehicle being inmotion.

In the case of text message originations and terminations, the case forcontrolling incoming and outgoing text messages is similar to the caseof mobile originations and terminations for mobile calls. Once thevehicle is in motion and it has been determined that the RDS subscriberis in the vehicle, the RDS policies are invoked by the GS-E 130. In thecase of a mobile originated text message (MO-T), whenever an RDSsubscriber 102 originates a text message, the MSC 110 or CSCF (118-122)sends a notification to the GS-C 116 requesting instructions before thetext can be routed. The GS-C 116 identifies which GS-E 130 provides asubscription to the subscriber, for example the subscriber may be anemployee of Acme corporation. The GS-C then forwards the informationabout the call request to the corresponding GS-E located in theenterprise network (of Acme corporation).

The information sent may include the originating subscriber information,the desired destination, the subscriber's location as well as othernetwork-based service information. Upon reception of the informationfrom the GS-C 116, the GS-E 130 then applies logic to this informationin accordance with specific policies to decide whether or not to allowthe text message to continue onward, and if so, what instructions tosend back to the GS-C 116 for the GS-C 116 to instruct the MSC 110 orCSCFs 118-122 and/or the short message service center (SMSC), which maybe part of the MSC 110.

If the RDS subscriber 102 is not located inside the vehicle 100, or ifthe vehicle 100 is not activated (i.e. powered on) or the vehicle is notmoving, or the vehicle is not moving over the hysteresis activationspeed (e.g. >=15 mph), then the GS-E 130 may instruct the GS-C 116 toallow the text message to proceed as normal. If however the vehicle 100is activated (i.e. powered on) and is in motion, and the RDS subscriber102 is inside the vehicle 100, then the GS-E 130 may elect to disallowthe text message from being delivered, and may instead deliver a textmessage to the RDS subscriber 102 with an indication that the textmessage failed and the reason (e.g. “vehicle is in motion”). Or instead,the GS-E 130 may invoke other treatments.

The RDS 108 may also allow text messages to be sent only to specificphone numbers when the above conditions are met, for example apre-approved list, such as to a systems administrator, manager, spouseor child. In such a case, the system may inform the RDS subscriber 102with a text message response and/or confirmation that because thisparticular text message is allowed to be delivered despite the vehiclebeing in motion. The system may elect to defer delivery of theconfirmation message until such time as the restrictions have beenlifted, for example when the vehicle comes to a stop.

For a mobile terminated text message (MT-T) to the subscriber, prior torouting the text message to the user, the MSC 110 or CSCFs 118-122 wouldsend a notification to the GS-E 130 that would determine the appropriaterouting instructions. Similar to the above case of MO-T, if it has beendetermined that the RDS subscriber is not located inside the vehicle, orif the vehicle is not activated (i.e. powered on) or the vehicle is notmoving, or the vehicle is not moving over the hysteresis activationspeed (e.g. >=15 mph), then the GS-E 130 may instruct the GS-C 116 toallow the text message to proceed as normal.

In the case where the vehicle is activated (i.e. powered on) and inmotion and it has been determined that the RDS subscriber 102 is inside,then the GS-E 130 may elect to disallow the text message from beingdelivered, and may instead deliver a text message to the originator withindication the text message failed and the reason (e.g. subscriber isunavailable at this time), or may invoke other treatments. The systemmay alternatively elect to defer delivery of the message in a queue,such as in the MSC 110, until such time as the restrictions have beenlifted, for example when the vehicle comes to a stop. The RDS 108 mayalso allow text messages to be received only from specific phone numberswhen the restrictions are in place, for example a pre-approved list,such as from a systems administrator, manager, spouse or child.

According to one example embodiment of the present invention, a methodof regulating mobile device usage may include determining a speed eventindicating that a speed of the motor vehicle has performed at least oneof exceeded a first threshold above which mobile device usagerestriction policies are invoked and fallen below the first thresholdallowing the mobile device restriction policies to be removed atoperation 402. The speed event may be a particular instance of motorvehicle speed measure by a GPS measurement, local radar or a mobiledevice application that uses GPS or the carrier network. The method mayalso provide transmitting the speed event to a remote edge gatewayserver located remotely from the motor vehicle, at operation 404 andstoring the speed event in the remote edge gateway server, at operation406.

Subsequently, at least one mobile device in the vehicle may performoriginating at least one of an attempted voice call, text message andmobile data communication session. As a result, the method may furtherprovide querying a carrier gateway server to determine how to route themobile data communication session. A message may be sent informing theremote edge gateway server of the mobile data communication sessionattempt and the stored speed event may be verified to determine whetherto invoke mobile device usage restriction policies. The method may alsoinclude sending routing instructions to the carrier gateway serverindicating how to route the mobile data communication session, androuting the mobile data communication session responsive to receivingthe routing instructions. A location of the mobile device(s) may bedetermined to be in close proximity to the motor vehicle based on adistance between the at least one mobile device and the motor vehicle.

Regarding mobile data restrictions, once the vehicle is in motion and ithas been determined that the RDS subscriber 102 is in the vehicle 100,the RDS policies are invoked by the GS-E 130. In the case of a mobiledata request whenever an RDS subscriber originates a mobile data request(e.g. http request), the SGSN sends a notification to the GS-C 116requesting instructions before the text can be routed. The combinationof the GS-C 116 and GS-E 130 may act as a GGSN, so that the GS-C 116appears to be a standard GGSN to the mobile network, which is securelyinterconnected via a secure tunnel to the GS-E 130 typically located inan enterprise 30.

The secure connection between the GS-C 116 and GS-E 130 can simply be anextension of the existing protocol between the SGSN and GGSN (e.g.gateway tunneling protocol (GTP) tunnel), or alternatively, can be adifferent security protocol specifically selected between the GS-C 116and GS-E 130 in accordance with the requirements of a particularenterprise (e.g. a proprietary high encryption protocol can be utilizedbetween the GS-C 116 and GS-E 130 for access to a military site).

The GS-C 116 identifies which GS-E 130 the subscriber belongs issubscribed with, for example the subscriber may be an employee of Acmecorporation. The GS-C 116 then forwards the information about the mobiledata request to the corresponding GS-E 130 located in the enterprisenetwork 30 of Acme corporation. The information sent may include theoriginating subscriber information and address, the desired destinationaddress, the subscriber's location as well as other network-basedservice information. Alternatively the GS-C 116 may elect to send theentire mobile data request to the GS-E 130.

On reception of the information from the GS-C 116, the GS-E 130 thenapplies logic to this information in accordance with specific policiesto decide whether or not to allow the mobile data request to continue.If allowed, the GS-E 130 can route the mobile data request to itsintended destination. The return address can either be set to the GS-E130, which may maintain a session state in order to remember to allowthe response to be delivered back to the device 102, assuming it wasallowed to be delivered. Alternatively, the return address can be leftunaltered such that the response will be delivered directly back to theRDS mobile 102, and would then be subject to policy on the response leg.In this latter case, the GS-E 130 does not need to maintain stateinformation about the session.

If it is determined that the mobile data request is not allowed due tothe vehicle being in motion with the RDS subscriber inside, then the RDS108 may or may not inform the RDS subscriber 102, either via a mobiledata response or a text message with reason (e.g. request denied,vehicle in motion). In the case of a request delivered to the RDS mobile102, the above description remains the same, and the incoming request issubject to policies of the GS-E 130 before being delivered to the RDSmobile 102.

In both cases, it is possible to override the policy restrictions formobile data requests to and from a specific list, such as systemadministrators, managers, spouse, children and/or specific devices. Theoverride exceptions could be identified by their associated IPaddresses, port numbers or other methods of identification in accordancewith internet addressing techniques. Their address information may bestored in an exception list that is referenced each time a call ormessage is originated or received from the mobile device 102.

With regard to certain restriction areas, such as femtocells orfemtozones, it is possible to impose policy restrictions on mobiledevice usage based on a specific location for any mobile device with theuse of miniature mobile base stations such as femtocells. Femtocells aresmall cellular base stations, that are typically designed for use in ahome or business, and which connect to the mobile carrier's networkusing a broadband connection typically over the Internet. These devicesare typically used to allow service providers to extend service coverageindoors, where access may otherwise be limited or unavailable. Thesolution works with any mobile phone from a particular mobile serviceprovider.

Extending this concept enables a femtocell or group of femtocells to beused not only for indoor use, but also outdoors, such as in a designatedschool zone, where using a mobile telephone may be prohibited whiledriving. This type of zone can be considered a femtozone. As a vehicleapproaches the school zone where restriction policies are mandated,signage would indicate that the user is approaching a school zone whereusage of mobile devices is not permitted while driving.

FIG. 3 illustrates a mobile deice 102 traversing through variousfemtocell zone locations, according to example embodiments of thepresent invention. As any mobile device 102 inside the vehicleapproaches the femtocell zones, or femtozone, the mobile device willattempt to connect to the femtocell base station. The femtozonesillustrated in FIG. 3 may be placed alongside a road that the vehicle100 is traveling. In this example, various femtozones are operated bybase stations 302, 304, 306 and 308.

Note that a femtocell is required for each mobile service provider in aschool zone, or alternatively a single femtocell can be shared bymultiple mobile service providers. Note that it is possible that when afemtocell detects a mobile device approaching, but where the signalstrength remains insufficient for the mobile to connect to thefemtocell, it is possible for the femtocell to nevertheless inform theGS-C 116/GS-E 130, which could, in turn, send a timely text message tothe mobile device to inform the subscriber that they are approaching aschool zone where restrictions are in force and will be imposed. It ispossible for the GS-E 130 to be located in a SCN that is managed andcontrolled by the school itself, a local government or municipality, amobile service provider, and/or by a third party company offering suchservices.

For mobile devices that are not already engaged in an active call, thedevices will register on the femtocell. The registration will berecorded in the HLR 112 and a VLR include din the MSC 110, and/or theHSS 114 and CSCFs 118-122, and/or the SGSN/GGSN of the GS-C 116 and GS-E130. If a mobile device 102 that is registered on the femtocell attemptsto make or receive a call, text and/or mobile data request, irrespectiveof whether or not the subscriber is designated as a RDS subscriber, theservice provider's GS-C 116 will be informed of the call, text or datasession in advance of it being routed.

In this case, the GS-C 116 can recognize that the subscriber 102 islocated on a femtocell that is in a school zone, and therefore routesthe information to a specific GS-E 330 that handles school zonerestrictions for all subscribers of this mobile service provider. TheGS-E 330 then can restrict the call, text and/or mobile data session, orapply specific policies as described earlier, such as to route anincoming call to voicemail.

The femtozone enabled GS-E 330 can enable restriction policies that takeinto account time of day (ToD), day of the week (DoW) and other criteriasuch as holidays to determine whether or not to invoke certainrestriction policies. For example, the femtozone GS-E 330 may imposedfull restrictions on calls, texts and mobile data during school zonetimes where vehicles are required to slow down to 20 mph, such as duringmorning drop-off and afternoon pickup times. Outside of these times, butstill during the school day, the GS-E 330 could be set to restrictorigination of outgoing calls and text messages but still allow incomingcalls and text messages to be received at the mobile device 102 insidethe vehicle 100. Outside of the school day as well as weekends andholidays, the system can be set to impose no restrictions.

If the subscriber 102 was traveling through the school zone is also aRDS subscriber, the GS-C 116 would assign the school zone GS-E 330 asthe primary GS-E for imposing restrictions, and could subsequently deferto the enterprise GS-E 130 as a secondary GS-E, should additionalrestrictions be required. For example, if an RDS subscriber 102 weretraveling through a schoolzone on the weekend, then the school GS-E 330would impose no restrictions, however the enterprise GS-E 130 couldstill impose restrictions to prevent calls and text messages while thevehicle is in motion.

In the case of a call-in-progress, when any mobile subscriber 102approaches the school zone femtocell, the call would be handed off tothe femtocell as expected. In this example, certain policies could beinstituted in which the call could be ended by the network, or othercall handling procedures, such as pausing the conversation by placingthe parties on hold and potentially playing a recorded message toindicate to one or both parties that the mobile user is in the schoolzone and will be placed on hold until they leave the school zone. Themessage played to the other party may be a message indicating the useris temporarily unavailable but will be reconnected shortly.

When the mobile subscriber exits the school zone and performs a handofffrom the femtocell back to the macro-cellular network of FIG. 1, thecall can be reconnected automatically. Note that it is possible that amobile subscriber that is not in a vehicle enters the femtozone willalso have restrictions imposed. For example, although the mobile usermay not be an RDS subscriber, the vehicle's RDSS system may still beused to restrictions on the user of the vehicle.

In order to enable mobile subscribers to exit a restricted mode, anoverride code can be used. For example, the system may send a user atext message as they approach a femtocell or when they have alreadyregistered on the femtocell, and therefore have been restricted. Thetext message may include an override code that the user can invoke. Thiscode can be made sufficiently lengthy so as to significantly discourageusers in a vehicle from attempting to enter the override code during theperiod in which they're located in the femtozone.

Another example may include calculating the vehicle's location atmultiple points to determine velocity, and if the user exceeds a certainspeed for walking such as 5 mph, then it can be assumed the mobilesubscriber is in a vehicle. This example can make use of network-basedGPS calculations via the MLC and GS-C 116 and GS-E 130, or alternativelyusing an open and accessible GPS device on the mobile device itself, ora combination of network and device-based GPS implementations.

In another example, by setting up a series of femtocells within theschool zone, instead of a single femtocell, it is possible to enable thefemtocells to be utilized to ascertain the location rather thanburdening the more expensive macro cellular network. Referring to FIG.3, a school zone can be setup with multiple femtocells, such as three ormore (e.g., 302, 304, 306 and 308). The first zone 304 may be one end ofthe school zone, the second zone 302 may be within the schoolzone areaof the school 350 but away from the street, and the third and fourth,306 and 308, respectively, may be located at opposite ends of thefemtozone.

In this school zone example, three of the four femtocell base stationsmay form a triangle that can be used to determine location informationwithin the primary femtozone 302 via triangulation of the mobile devicepower signal or via any comparable position determining algorithm. Theselocation calculations can be handled by a dedicated MLC either in theservice provider's network, a network dedicated to a group of schoolsand/or school zones, or to a single school zone. In this case, it ispossible for a dedicated MLC to be connected directly to a femtocellcontroller included in the GS-E 330, exclusively for calculatingvelocity. In this manner, the service provider's main MLC typically usedfor 911 emergency calls on the macro cellular network will not beoverloaded, nor will the macro network cellular radios be overloadedwith mobile location requests.

In another method, any mobile device that enters the school zone canattach to the femtocell, and once connected with the femtocell, themobile device will automatically be subject to restriction policies inaccordance with the rules (e.g. during the school zone restrictionperiod when the lights are flashing, restrict all incoming/outgoingcalls, outgoing texts and mobile data requests, etc.). This implies thatall mobile devices may be subject to the policies, conditions andrestrictions of the school zone, irrespective of whether the mobile useris walking, or driving in a vehicle.

When the user makes or receives calls or text messages or originatesmobile data, the network will request their permission to proceed and bydoing so the user is acknowledging that they are in compliance with thelocal regulations (i.e. that they are not the driver of a motor vehicleat the time of the event). The mobile user's acknowledgement is recordedin the system as an event, and can be later retrieved should the userhave been found to be driving in violation of the rules.

According to one example method of operation, a mobile user may enterthe school zone and connect to the femtocell, the user may attempt tooriginate a call. Before the call is routed to its intended destination,a recorded message can be played to the originating party stating forexample, “you are in a school zone where it is prohibited to use yourmobile phone while driving. Press 1 or say “proceed” to acknowledge thatyou are not driving or press 2 for help”. The user may then press 1 orsay “proceed”, or press 2 or say “help” for more information. The systemrecords the user's selection in its database, and allows the call toproceed. Otherwise, the call may be terminated.

A user that is a passenger in the vehicle (not the driver), or who is apedestrian in the school zone, can enable calls to be routed withoutrestriction. Note that the system can also record that the user hung upthe call or simply did not proceed with the call. This information canbe used as a confirmation that the user heard the message and realizedthey were in the school zone, and elected to comply with the regulationby not proceeding with the call. If the user selects 2 or says “help”,the system can inform the user of additional information, such as theregulations, the times when the regulations are in force, as well asoverride capabilities described in detail below.

In the event of calls terminated to a mobile user in the femtocell afterthe mobile phone rings, the subscriber can answer the call and be playeda similar message. The user can then hang up or press 1 or say “proceed”to acknowledge that they are not driving in order to proceed withaccepting the call. In the case of the user originating a text message,after the user has sent the text message, the system can respond with atext message stating “you are in a school zone where it is prohibited touse your mobile phone while driving, reply to this message with [“p”] toproceed and acknowledge that you are not driving”. Note the text withinthe brackets can be optional. If the user responds to the text messagewith [“p”] if the message so stated, the system records the user'schoice in the database, and then allows the text message to bedelivered.

The system may not prevent the user from composing and sending the textmessage in the first place. However, the notifications will make theuser aware of the regulation for subsequent messages and prevent themessage from being delivered without their confirmation ofacknowledgement. The user's action on whether or not to proceed will berecorded in the system and can be later retrieved. The user may berequired to undergo additional operations and steps to send or receive atext message while traveling through a regulated area or zone. Thisadd-on feature of the local system may be a deterrent or avoidanceprocedure in of itself without requiring the ability to block or stop auser's cellular service.

If the user elects not to proceed by responding with any otherinformation than what was specified or by not responding at all, thetext message can either be discarded and the user will have to re-sendthe message when they are out of the school zone, or alternatively thesystem can automatically send the message when the user's mobileregisters that it has left the school zone (by exiting the femtocell andconnecting to the macro cell). Alternatively, the system can inform theuser with a text message when the user has exited the school zone thatthey have a text message pending for delivery and request the user ifthe message should be sent, to which the user can respond by replying tothis notification text message whether to deliver or discard themessage. The user's decision can also be recorded by the system byindicating that the user waited until exiting the school zone to deliverthe message.

Incoming text messages can be held in a store-and-forward queue untilthe subscriber exists the femtozone. However, if the user is apedestrian or someone who is not the driver then they will not haveknowledge that text messages are waiting for them. In this case a textmessage can be sent to the user stating “you have a text message waitingbut you are in a school zone where it is prohibited to use your mobilephone while driving, reply to this message with [“p”] to proceed and toacknowledge that you are not driving.” If the user responds with “p”,the system records the user's choice in the database, and then allowsthe text message to be delivered. The user's action on whether or not toproceed will be recorded in the system and can be later retrieved.

If the user elects not to proceed by responding with any otherinformation other than what was specified, or by not responding at all,the text message can either be discarded, or alternatively, the systemcan automatically send it when the user's mobile device confirms that ithas left the school zone. The mobile device may confirm that it is readyto accept communications by exiting the femtocell and connecting to themacro cell, or the system can inform the user with a text message whenthey have exited the school zone that they have a text message pending.The system may send a request to the user to determine if the messageshould be delivered. In response, the user can respond to thenotification text message whether to deliver or discard the message.This information can also be recorded by the system (e.g. that the userwaited until exiting the school zone for delivery of the message).

Note that in some cases, calls or texts to or from emergency numberssuch as 911 will always override these policies. For pedestrians ordrivers that are regularly in the school zone during the restrictionperiods, the system can enable them to use override codes to be able torecord their acknowledgements that they are not driving without havingto go through the steps of responding to a confirmation message. Theseoverride capabilities can also be enabled for RDS subscribers, so thatthey are able to override the system in an emergency, if they are notthe driver of the vehicle, or for other reasons while ensuring thattheir decision to override is recorded by the system.

For example, a user originating a mobile phone call or text message canenter a prefix code such as *11 before the digits to be dialed, orappend a postfix code such as #11 to the digits to be dialed. Byincluding such a code, the system may consider that the user is not thedriver and therefore should proceed with the call or text message. Thesystem would strip the prefix or postfix, record the user'sacknowledgement in the database and then proceed with the call or textmessage. The system can be set to require the prefix or postfix code foreach and every call or text message, or can be set to require the codeonly for the first communication attempt, until such time as the userhas exited the school zone, or the restriction period has ended.

Different override codes can be used for different reasons withdifferent policies. For example, *99 or #99 can be used by thesubscriber to indicate that the override request was to address anemergency situation. In another example, *22 or #22 could be used toindicate that the override request was to indicate that the user is in aschool zone but are not in a vehicle.

In another case, it is possible to override the system automatically ifthe system determines the mobile device is specifically exempt from thepolicies. For example, if the subscriber is also an RDS subscriber andthe system has been able to determine that they are in their vehiclewithin the school zone and that the vehicle is stopped or travelingbelow the threshold above which the restrictions normally apply, thenthe system can automatically enable calls and/or texts or mobile data tobe utilized by the user without having to go through the steps ofresponding to a confirmation message.

Regulating the mobile device communications in certain geographicalareas may be performed with modifications to the device itself. Also, nosoftware is required to be deployed onto the mobile device 102. Also,there is no requirement that a mobile device support a GPS service,Bluetooth, WiFi, etc. Such a system may enable the aggregation of boththe vehicle and calling data in the network to be reviewed, verified andserve as input to driver scoring algorithms, insurance ratings or otherstatistical analyses. Other features may enable the carrier to be anintegral part of the value proposition so the carrier's networkinformation is utilized to enable the system.

FIG. 4 illustrates an example method of regulating mobile devicecommunications while operating a motor vehicle. Referring to FIG. 4, themethod may include transmitting a connection request message to a firstbase station to a session switching network via the mobile devicetraveling in a moving motor vehicle, at operation 402. The method mayalso include transmitting a notification message identifying the mobiledevice to a gateway server from the session switching network, atoperation 404, and receiving a treatment response from the gatewayserver, the treatment response ordering a treatment different from anormal treatment to reflect restrictions on the use of the mobile devicewithin a communication area of the base station, at operation 406.

The operations of a method or algorithm described in connection with theembodiments disclosed herein may be embodied directly in hardware, in acomputer program executed by a processor, or in a combination of thetwo. A computer program may be embodied on a computer readable medium,such as a storage medium. For example, a computer program may reside inrandom access memory (“RAM”), flash memory, read-only memory (“ROM”),erasable programmable read-only memory (“EPROM”), electrically erasableprogrammable read-only memory (“EEPROM”), registers, hard disk, aremovable disk, a compact disk read-only memory (“CD-ROM”), or any otherform of storage medium known in the art.

An exemplary storage medium may be coupled to the processor such thatthe processor may read information from, and write information to, thestorage medium. In the alternative, the storage medium may be integralto the processor. The processor and the storage medium may reside in anapplication specific integrated circuit (“ASIC”). In the alternative,the processor and the storage medium may reside as discrete components.For example, FIG. 5 illustrates an example network element 500, whichmay represent any of the above-described network components 102-134,etc.

As illustrated in FIG. 5, a memory 510 and a processor 520 may bediscrete components of the network entity 500 that are used to executean application or set of operations. The application may be coded insoftware in a computer language understood by the processor 520, andstored in a computer readable medium, such as, the memory 510. Thecomputer readable medium may be a non-transitory computer readablemedium that includes tangible hardware components in addition tosoftware stored in memory. Furthermore, a software module 530 may beanother discrete entity that is part of the network entity 500, andwhich contains software instructions that may be executed by theprocessor 520. In addition to the above noted components of the networkentity 500, the network entity 500 may also have a transmitter andreceiver pair configured to receive and transmit communication signals(not shown).

While preferred embodiments of the present invention have beendescribed, it is to be understood that the embodiments described areillustrative only and the scope of the invention is to be defined solelyby the appended claims when considered with a full range of equivalentsand modifications (e.g., protocols, hardware devices, software platformsetc.) thereto.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method, comprising: receiving, at a carrierserver associated with at least one mobile device operated by a user, anotification of an attempted communication, wherein the attemptedcommunication comprises at least one of an attempted voice call, a textmessage, and a mobile data communication to or from the mobile device;identifying, by the carrier server, a remote server, determining, by theremote server, whether a transport is in motion based on a receivedspeed event message identifying that a transport speed of the transporthas exceeded a speed threshold; determining, by the remote server,whether the mobile device is located in the transport based on anassessment that a first distance measurement and a second distancemeasurement are equal; wherein the first distance measurement iscalculated between a first location of the mobile device at a first timeand a first location of the transport at the first time, and the seconddistance measurement is calculated between a second location of themobile device at a second time and a second location of the transport atthe second time, wherein the second time is after the first time; andapplying, by the carrier server, a policy to the attempted communicationwhen the transport speed has exceeded the speed threshold and the mobiledevice is identified as being located in the transport.
 2. The method ofclaim 1, further comprising querying, by the carrier server, the remoteserver for the policy, wherein the policy comprises at least one ofrerouting, intercepting, delaying and disallowing the attemptedcommunication.
 3. The method of claim 2, further comprising at least oneof: notifying the remote server of the attempted communication, andverifying the received speed event message to determine whether toinvoke the policy and apply a mobile device usage restriction policy. 4.The method of claim 3, further comprising at least one of: sendingrouting instructions to the carrier server indicating how to route theattempted communication, and routing the attempted communicationresponsive to receiving the routing instructions.
 5. The method of claim1, further comprising not applying the policy to the attemptedcommunication, by the remote server, when determining that the mobiledevice is not located inside the vehicle.
 6. The method of claim 5,further comprising invoking the policy to restrict the mobile devicewhen the speed threshold is triggered.
 7. The method of claim 6, furthercomprising removing the policy restricting the mobile device when asecond speed threshold is triggered, wherein the second speed thresholdis equal to or less than the first speed threshold.
 8. A non-transitorycomputer readable medium comprising instructions that, when read by aprocessor, cause the processor to perform: receiving, at a carrierserver associated with at least one mobile device operated by a user, anotification of an attempted communication, wherein the attemptedcommunication comprises at least one of an attempted voice call, a textmessage, and a mobile data communication to or from the mobile device;identifying, by the carrier server, a remote server, determining, by theremote server, whether a transport is in motion based on a receivedspeed event message identifying that a transport speed of the transporthas exceeded a speed threshold; determining, by the remote server,whether the mobile device is located in the transport based on anassessment that a first distance measurement and a second distancemeasurement are equal; wherein the first distance measurement iscalculated between a first location of the mobile device at a first timeand a first location of the transport at the first time, and the seconddistance measurement is calculated between a second location of themobile device at a second time and a second location of the transport atthe second time, wherein the second time is after the first time; andapplying, by the carrier server, a policy to the attempted communicationwhen the transport speed has exceeded the speed threshold and the mobiledevice is identified as being located in the transport.
 9. Thenon-transitory computer readable medium of claim 8, further comprisinginstructions that, when read by the processor, cause the processor toperform querying, by the carrier server, the remote server for thepolicy, wherein the policy comprises at least one of rerouting,intercepting, delaying and disallowing the attempted communication. 10.The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 9, furthercomprising instructions that, when read by the processor, cause theprocessor to perform at least one of: notifying the remote server of theattempted communication, and verifying the received speed event messageto determine whether to invoke the policy and apply a mobile deviceusage restriction policy.
 11. The non-transitory computer readablemedium of claim 10, further comprising instructions that, when read bythe processor, cause the processor to perform at least one of: sendingrouting instructions to the carrier server indicating how to route theattempted communication, and routing the attempted communicationresponsive to receiving the routing instructions.
 12. The non-transitorycomputer readable medium of claim 8, further comprising not applying thepolicy to the attempted communication, by the remote server, whendetermining that the mobile device is not located inside the vehicle.13. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 12, furthercomprising instructions that, when read by the processor, cause theprocessor to perform invoking the policy to restrict the mobile devicewhen the speed threshold is triggered.
 14. The non-transitory computerreadable medium of claim 13, further comprising removing the policyrestricting the mobile device when a second speed threshold istriggered, wherein the second speed threshold is equal to or less thanthe first speed threshold.
 15. A system, comprising: a remote serverconfigured to: determine whether a transport is in motion based on areceived speed event message identifying that a transport speed of thetransport has exceeded a speed threshold; determine whether a mobiledevice is located in the transport based on an assessment that a firstdistance measurement and a second distance measurement are equal;wherein the first distance measurement is calculated between a firstlocation of the mobile device at a first time and a first location ofthe transport at the first time, and the second distance measurement iscalculated between a second location of the mobile device at a secondtime and a second location of the transport at the second time, whereinthe second time is after the first time; a carrier server configured to:receive a notification of an attempted communication by the mobiledevice operated by a user, wherein the attempted communication comprisesat least one of an attempted voice call, a text message, and a mobiledata communication to or from the mobile device; and apply a policy tothe attempted communication when the transport speed has exceeded thespeed threshold and the mobile device is identified as being located inthe transport.
 16. The system of claim 15, wherein the carrier server isfurther configured to query the remote server for the policy, whereinthe policy comprises at least one of rerouting, intercepting, delayingand disallowing the attempted communication.
 17. The system of claim 16,wherein the carrier server is further configured to perform at least oneof: notify the remote server of the attempted communication, and verifythe received speed event message to determine whether to invoke thepolicy and apply a mobile device usage restriction policy.
 18. Thesystem of claim 17, wherein the remote server is further configured toperform at least one of: send routing instructions to the carrier serverindicating how to route the attempted communication, and route theattempted communication responsive to reception of the routinginstructions.
 19. The system of claim 15, wherein the remote server isfurther configured to not apply the policy to the attemptedcommunication when it is determined that the mobile device is notlocated inside the vehicle.
 20. The system of claim 15, wherein theremote server is further configured to invoke the policy to restrict themobile device when the speed threshold is triggered.